1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an arrangement for spraying coating and filling materials such as paint, sealants, glue, insulating material, etc.
2. Background Art
Coating and filling materials are sprayed onto work surfaces in many industries. In many applications, it is important or at least beneficial to be able to regulate the temperature of the sprayed material. Many coatings and fillers work best when sprayed at temperatures in specific temperature ranges, for example 25–30 degrees Celsius, to provide the best adhesion or proper viscosity. Regulating the temperature of typical coating materials is made difficult not only by the nature of the materials themselves, but also by the work environment, the spraying apparatus, and the spraying procedure.
In the automotive industry, for example, such “complex” materials as PVC (sometimes even including a high density of small glass spheres), epoxy, and rubber-based bitumen are often sprayed, using robot-mounted guns, as protective coatings and fillers onto or into such parts as wheel wells, door frames, underbodies, etc. The spray profile is often uneven, with both high and low flow rates, frequent starts and stops, and often with idle times long enough that the ambient temperature—which often differs by as much as 15–40 degrees Celsius—can affect the temperature of the material to be sprayed.
One common way to regulate the temperature of the sprayed material is to pass it through a conduit that is externally cooled or heated by water. One common drawback of such conventional arrangements is that they are usually slow, which limits their ability to regulate the temperature of material flowing at relatively high rates. Another drawback is that these systems are often bulky, which makes them difficult to mount near or on a robot-held spray gun.
What is needed is therefore an arrangement that allows for quick and accurate regulation of the temperature even of such complex sprayed materials. It would also be advantageous if the arrangement could be made compact enough that it is convenient to use with a robot. This invention provides such an arrangement.